Learning Spanish in Benalmadena

I have come down to the Costa del Sol to spend my 4-week summer holiday as usual. Normally during this time I would take some classes at the Bonanova Language School in Fuengirola, but this year they had no classes at an appropriate level. Bonanova
Instead I elected to study at Colegio Maravillas in Benamadena. I opted for a 2-week intensive course (20 hours per week), at a cost of 310 Euros. They offer complete packages including accommodation with Spanish families.
This journal will track my progress there.
First impressions
The upfront administration is good. You can register on-line and they will respond in English. Very efficient. I arrived in Malaga on Wed 29th June and went along to the Benalmadena the next day to find out where the school was. From Fuengirola to Benalmadena is a 13 minute train journey on the Cercanias line between Fuengirola and Malaga - the return trip costs 1.5 Euros.
The following day I had arranged to go and pay my money and sit the written test for placement. They were ready for me and everything went smoothly. I had to turn up at 9.00 am on the following Monday for an oral assessment, before being placed in class.
I will let you know how day 1 progressed in my next entry.
Robbieroy

Monday 4th July
Day 1
I travelled through to Benalmadena by train and walked to the school, stopping off to have a coffee in a local bar.

At the school, they were very efficient, I did the oral and then was placed in the Advanced class. We were given a tour of the school - they have very good facitlities - air conditioned classrroms, a well stocked library with 9 computers on the internet (I am using one of them now).


The timtable is:
0930 - 1130 - Grammar class
1200 -1400 - vocabulary and conversation class.
We have 7 students in the advanced class:
1 Swiss, 2 French. 1 Belgian, 1 italian, 1 Swede and and 1 Scottish. Naturally, I am the "abuelo" of the class!

Some of the class with two of the teachers on the right:


The grammar class was quite hard - oraciones condicionales con "Si" and the imperfecto and pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo. The teacher Miguel is quite entertaining.

The vocabuary and discussion class with teacher Julio followed on from this and we did excercises about bank transactions and also practicsed using the Si constructions.
Tuesday 5th July
Day 2
A similar pattern to the classes, more grammar in the first 2 hours and then conversation and more vocabulary. The class is now more confident and the conversations went better today.

As I said, the facilities at the school are good, and the staff very helpful. There is a large outdoor terraza where you can get coffee, drinks and tapas - it is good value too: coffee is only 0.50 euros.

The terrace bar:


Well time to go and catch the train back to Fuengirola.
Robbieroy

Day 3 Wed 6th July
The grammar class this morning was more interactive and communicative than before and we had lots of practice using the imperfect subjunctive and condicional.
The vocabulary and conversation class again focussed on oral activities, reinforcing the use of the condicional. imperfect subjunctive and some use of the present subjunctive.
We took some time out to watch the announcement of the winners of the Olympic bid for the 2012 games. I organised a lottery for this at 1 Euro a ticket. I thought I was on a winner by pulling Paris out of the hat! One of the French students drew London! and London won! Congratulations London!
As well as offering courses to adult learners, the school also offers courses for teenagers and student groups, but in a different facility to the main scholl in the centre of Benalmadena. For this reason, they can offer a comprehensive range of activities.
This weeks´s activities are:
Monday:
1400 - a talk on Granada
1800 - a film: Al sur de Granada
Tuesday:
1500 - Private tutorails are available at no extra cost
1700 - A talk on the Spanish Civil War
Wednesday:
1500 - an excursion to erja and Frigiliana
Thursday:
1500 - free tutorials
1800 - International Film: Las Horas
Friday:
1530 - student and teacher football match
2100 - a party in the school with sangria and music
Saturday:
0800 - a whole day trip to Granada
Personally, I chose to go on the trip to Granda, since I have never been there, but I was informed that no other adults had put their names down and that only the groups of teenagers were going. I was a liitle disappointed by this and I guess I just have to wait and visit Granada some other time.
Yesterday afternoon I played some tennis and took the opertunity to visit some Spanish friends in Fuengirola, managing to sqeeze in some tapas of gambas al pil pil and some tortilla..mmmm!
This afternoon was taken up by some chores such as shopping, followed by an early evening practice session on the tennis court.
For our evening meal, we had one of my favourites - roast chicken bought from an Asador de Pollo - these are common throughout Spain and are shops specialing in roast chicken on the spit. You can also buy baked potatoes. what used to be called French fries and a variety of salads. The whole roast chicken is good value at 7 euros, the best thing is it saves a lot of preparation and cooking time.
Saludos
Robbieroy

Day 4 Thurs 7th July
The classrooms in the school are well maintained and all have air conditioning - a must during the summer months. The average temperature during my recent time here at been around 30 - 36 degrees Celcius.
Grammar Class - more on the condicional and imperfect subjunctive, but this time orally.
Conversation class - this was dominated by a dicussion of this morning´s bomb blast in London.
During the morning break, the winner of yesterday´s in-class lottery, brought in some champagne and congac for us to enjoy.
Enjoying the cognac and champagne on the terrace:



Apart from the news about the events in London, it was a really good day.
I took some photos and will add these to the postings once I am back in the UK.
Robbieroy

Well, this is Friday, the final day of this first week of an intensive Spanish course in Benalmadena. What have I liked and disliked about it?
Likes: the facilities are very good, clean and entirely suited to purpose. They have a good library with intenet access and the teaching and administrative staff are very helpful and accommodating. I particulary like the links between the work done in the mornings in the grammar class and the work done after break in the vocabulary and conversation class. The teachers by and large are good. I also like the idea of the cafe/snack bar area which is good for mixing socially. The range of additional activities is also good.
Dislikes: I have very few dislikes. The only one that springs to mind is that very little homework is given.
Unfortunately, I cannot give you a fuller report on Benalmadena itself, because I am not staying there. From past experience, I know that the has a great marina area and the the town centre is lively.
WOW - in grammar class this morning, a surprise test on Si clauses and on conjunctions line con tal de que. a condicion de que etc!!!!!!!!
In vocab/discussion class we looked at adverts using the subjunctive an also at "false cognates"
Robbieroy

Monday 11th July
This is the start of week 2 of my course.
The weekend went well but much of Saturday was taken up taking a friend to Málaga by train to buy a ticket for him to go to Valencia. We originally went to the Fuengirola train station to buy the ticket for this main line journey BUT BE WARNED - the ticket window for purchasing long distance train travel in Fuengirola is closed until 21st July.
The Cercanías train trip to Málaga RENFE (train station which is one stop BEFORE Málaga Centro), was fine. If you are going to be purchasing train travel tickets in Málaga, please note that the queuing system makes use of numbered tickets - you need to take one from the dispenser and wait for your number to be called and displayed on a screen - this also tells you the ticket window (ventaniila) to go to.
We had a 20 minute wait!
After buying the ticket we went for lunch and enjoyed a selection of food - mixed house salad, paella and cod fish (bacalao) cooked with potatoes and peas. All this with bread and water for only 16 euros total.
The reason I went with my friend was that he suffered a stoke in 1991 and has some difficulty talking, so it is helpful if there is someone there just in case they are needed.
On Saturday evening I played some more tennis, then enjoyed a nice meal at home.
Sunday was very busy with shopping, followed by 2 hours of tennis and then preparing food for our guests who were coming round in the evening.
We had a good meal of mixed fish starters (smoked salmon, boquerones in vinegar and curried herring, with a garlic and tomato salad, followed by spag bolognaise and then lemon mousse and ice cream. Needless to say a few bottles of wine were also consumed.

Grammar class - we were issued with a new book at "Superior" level. Most of the main books used for grammar in the classes have been written by Concha Moreno, so if you are looking for a good author of grammar books to help you with your studies, then she would be a good recommendation as author.
Today, we were focussing on different uses of the present tense, both to make reference to the future and the past. We also listend to a couple of songs but J L Aute and filled in the blanks on the lyrics sheets - a difficult exercise! The focus was on the use of the subjunctive.
Vocabulary/ conversation class - focussed on dictation, stock frases used in everyday speech and discussion about various issues.
5 new students arrived in our class today.
At night, a party was organised for the adults groups, there were about 40 of us there. There was free beer and sangria as well as tapas of ham, cheese, tortilla, nuts, crisps, olives and pork cooked on the grill.



It was an enjoyable evening, mixing with others students and teachers.
Robbieroy

The programme of additional activities for this week is:
Monday:
1400 - a talk and a film on Córdoba
2100 - a party
Tuesday:
1500 - Private tutorails are available at no extra cost
1800 a film - Solas
Wednesday:
1500 - an excursion to Málaga
2000 - tapas in Málaga
Thursday:
1500 practise your Spianish using songs
1600 free tutorials
1800 - International Film: Una casa de locos
Friday:
1530 - student and teacher volleyball match
Saturday:
0800 - a whole day trip to Córdoba
1700 - Seminar on Picasso

I think I might try the Córdoba trip.

Grammar class - the use of the past tenses
Vocabulary/conversation - more use of if.. then

In the grammar classes at this level, there is an expectation that the student knows how to form the verb tenses. The focus is therefore on the use of the tenses.
The rest of the day was taken up by some light revision, tennis and eating.

Wednesday 13th July
I will be going to Málaga this afternoon with the organised trip and will report back tomorrow.
In the morning, the grammer class was mind-bending: we worked on the correspondence of the 9 indicative tenses to the 4 subjunctive tenses AND THEN on probability in the past present and future! My brain still hurts - get me out of here
In the conversation class we discussed various social issues and then went on to look at the lyrics of a song by Los Secretos (a Spanish group, popular in the 80´s) called "Bulevar de los sueños rotos". We then listened to the track a couple of times and then, can you believe it? - we ended up singing it!!

The afternoon trip to Málaga went well - we were picked up at the school in a nice air-conditioned coach and dropped at the cathedral.
There was 1 techer with 5 adults. We did a tour of the cathedral and although I am not religious, I found it interesting.



Next we went to the Alcazaba,



then the roman theatre,



followed by Plaza de la Merced



and then the Plaza de la Constitución.



Here is something interesting. In the this place they have large replicas on the ground (in metal) of the front pages of national newspapers from Decembre 1978, when the Spanish constitution came into effect. AND - if you look at the webcam of the Plaza del la Constitución, toy can just see them by the street light on the left of the image.

We then had some free time so we went for a walk along Calle Larios, one of the main shopping streets that you can see on the webcam at the top of the image. If the web cam is working, you can see it here
We left Málaga at 7.00pm
In the evening I went out for a meal with my lady friend, to a delighful restaurant in the Pueblo Lopez area of Fuengirola.

Robbieroy

Thursday 14th July
Grammar class was a little confusing this morning, jumping beteen probability, the past tenses and the imperative. I am sure that the teacher has a plan....
One thing I did find interesting was how to classify phrases according to Time, Mode and Aspect.
In conversation class wee discussed a variety of social issues.
Four of the class leave tomorrow, so we a planning a small fiesta with tapas. I will let you know what happens.
The rest of the day was taken up with shopping, household chores and later in the evening, a visit to the feria ground. All along the coast, they are celebrating the Fiesta and Feria of Camen, the paton saint of fishermen.
Saturday night is the big night when she is paraded and sent out to sea.
I am going on a trip to Córdoba on saturday and 45 degrees C is forecast!!.
Robbieroy

Wow, this blog has been brilliant. I'm tempted to enrol in this school myself. I hope they are paying you advertising commission Rob Roy! I must say though, I don't envy you walking around Cordoba in 44C heat!!!

PLEASE DO continue using this thread as your BLOG for your studying experience in Benalmadena, robbieroy. How very very interesting! Enjoy your time.

Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks for the comments MM and filbert. I was enjoying the school SO MUCH that I have decided to enrol for one more week!!!!
On Friday in class, we read a short story by Pablo Neruda - a nice story about being in a foreign country but difficult vocabulary. We had some homework to do on it.
I conversation we discussed certain jobs and social issues, focussing on the use of the subjunctive.
There was no surprise test this week - thank goodness.
Saturday was the trip to Córdoba. In a word - Brilliant.
There were three coach loads went - 10 adults and 100 + youths from the other section of the college. It took us about 3 hours to get to Córdoba, including a half hour stop for breakfast (at 10.30 this was my second of the day!).
Everything was well organised. We ten adults had one teacher all to ourselves as a guide, and my goodness, she knew her history.
(On the trip to Malaga, it was evident that the teacher new her history as well. It is quite evident that the teachers are all very knowledgeable about Spanish history. This puts my knowledge of Scots history to shame!)
First stop was the old Roman bridge that crosses the main river, the Guadaquivir and then to the Torre (tower) de la Calahorra, which dated from the 8th Century Muslim era.



After that it was on to tour round the historic centre of Córdoba including the Jewish quarter. AMAZING!



You can feel the atmosphere in the very narrow strees and around each coner, you can see hints of the Arab influence.



Next on the agenda was the Alcazar - the Royal Palace).



The gardens anre MAGNIFICENT and cooling.



http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~lls013/summer2005/cordoba/cordalcazargdns1.jpg

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~lls013/summer2005/cordoba/cordalcazargdns2.jpg

The weather was HOT, HOT HOT - 42 degrees, but it is a dry heat and does not drain your strength.

After a tour round the interior and a visit to the Arab baths. We had free time for lunch. A group of four of us found a small restaurant specilising in tradition food from Córdoba.



The group had a selection of food:-
Cod in tomato and peppers
Paella
Solmorejo - a cold soup like gaspacho but thicker
Chocos fritos (no, not fried chocolates but large squid fried in batter)
Artichoke hearts.
All this with 2 rounds of water and cokes came to 39 Euros, not bad for four people.
After lunch we all met up again and toured the Mezquita - hugh, impressive and interesting.





After that we set off for home ad got back about 8 pm. Some of had a drink with the teacher before setting off.
This organised trip was really well organised and informative. It cost 36 Euros.
In Córdoba, watch out for the women beggers, they are pests.
Robbieroy

Monday 18th July
The weather on Sunday was hot, hot hot. 41 degrees in Málaga! and very, very humid. When cooking the evening meal of fajitas I took a packet of tortillas out of the cupboard and the were already hot!!!! When I went to bed, the sheets were hot! Everything was hot! This morning in Benaladena, there was a nice cooling breeze.

Today, the grammar lesson was hard work. It was about the estilo indirecto or reported speech. Although the grammar rules about the use of the subjunctive in the various tenses is straightforward, the problem is with the verbs that introduce the reported speech. They come from different categories and different rules are applied to them. The problem is caused by not knowing how to classify different verbs and therefore apply the correct grammatical rule when reporting what was said. Some take the indicative and some take the subjunctive. Looks like I will need to do some homework tonight to learn these.
The vocabulary and conversation class was good again today with the focus on wishes and desires using subjunctive and conditional. We also looked a phrases that use parts of the body.

The activities on offer this week are again interesting and well thouht out:
Monday:
1400 - a talk and a film on Ronda
1730 private tutorials
Tuesday:
1600 - practise your Spianish using songs
1800 a film - Habla con ella
Wednesday:
1500 - an excursion to Marbella and Puerto Banus
Thursday:
1730 - a talk on Goya the artist
1800 - International Film: Los otros
Friday:
1530 - student and teacher sport in the sports centre
2000 - a tapas tour in Fuengirola

Saturday:
0800 - a whole day trip to Ronda

The tapas in Fuengirola and the Ronda trip appeal to me.

Yesterday afternoon was taken up doing some household chores and some shopping.

Fluchos in Fuengirola!!!!!!
I found a shoe shop selling Fluchos. The were advertised as being on sale with an average price of around 60 Euros. MM - any advice? Do you think that this is a good price?

The evening was taken up doing some homework.
Robbieroy

Tuesday 19th July
The grammar class was again hard going, matching the 9 indicative tenses to the 4 subjunctive tenses. The teacher worked hard to get this across to us. I think I see some light at the end of the tunnel!
The vocabulary/conversation class was outstanding. We taked for a bit about our personal priorities in life, debated homosexual marriages and religion and then, BEST OF ALL - went through INSULTS and SWEARWORDS in Spanish!!
Great - now all I need to do is learn them and put them into practice (but in a controlled environment with someone who is sypathetic, otherwise it could be very dangerous!!).
The afternoon was taken up with some lunch, a light siesta and some tennis, followed by a meal in the house.
The weather continues to be very hot and humid. The dry heat is OK but the humidity is sapping.
Robbieroy

Wednesday 20th July

I recently changed my morning routine by taking my coffee in the train station at Fuengirola (where you can also have breakfast and watch the TV), instead on the bar near the language school in Benalmádena. In this way, I can go directly to the school, check my email and post the next instalment of this blog.
Grammar class was difficult today. The class (including myself) seemed tired. The teacher did a lot of talking about things unrelated to grammar, but nevertheless, culturally interesting.
The main focus of today´s lesson was the use of the indicative or subjunctive along with verbs of the head and verbs of influence. This was done in relation to different times (present past etc)and so was quite complicated.
Vocabulary/conversation: today we looked at at exercise and information of the different meanings of "the language of the fan", by women. This was quite entertaining. The discussion and conversation was quite stilted because of the tiredness of the students in the class.
In the aftenoon, following lunch, I went and did some shopping for groceries etc and played tennis in the evening. Instead of going out or cooking in we got a chineese carry-out. We has 2 spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce, sweet and sour pork and beef chop suey along with a portion of fries and a portion of fried rice. All for just less then 10 Euros in total. That, for a Scotsman, is good value! :p
Robbieroy

Thursday 21st July
The grammar class was slightly easier today. We did relative pronous like el que, cuyo, cual etc and also relative phrases where the subject of the sentence is known, in which case you use the indicative tense, or where the subject is unknown, where you use the subjunctive tense. For example I know someone who speaks Spanish, versus I would like to meet someone who speaks Spanish.
We also discussed the state exams and the benefits of working for the state in terms of financial security.
In the vocabulary/conversation class, we reviewed some previously learned vocabulary and somehow the conversation got around to contraception and that opened up a raft of totally new words connected with this ....! Great!

Tomorrow we have a grammar test!

The walk to school from the train station is very pleasant, through the side streets to keep out of the already hot 9.00am sun. There are a range of smells to awaken the senses - that of fresh bread from the bakers (some with the grand title of "despacho de pan" and also, from the small pescaderias, the smell of fresh fish.

It looks unlikely that I will be able to go on the trip to Ronda. Some friends have organised a party to celebrate the birthday of my ladyfriend, and I guess that I should be there. Maybe next time.

Yesterday, we watched TV quite a bit due to the further bombs in London. The Spanish take a big interest in this because of 11-M in Madrid.
Later, I played some tennis, and we had a nice meal in the house.
Robbieroy

Friday, 22nd July
The grammar test was hard today. The good thing was that we did it orally and filled in the blanks!
In vocabulary/conversation, we discussed the London bombings and then listened to a some flamenco songs, but especially one by el Camarón called "Como el agua". We then listend to a song called "Vivir sin aire" by Maná and filled in the missing words. GuesS what happened next? - yes, we sang it.
The weather continues to be very hot and at times very humid, but it is bearable when you avoid the worst times of the dat between 2.00 and 6.00 pm

I have decided to stay on a the college for yet another week!
More later
Robbieroy

Robbieroy,
If any board members sign up for a session at the school you deserve a free week at least! You info-blog is delightful and full of solid info -

A should/must read link for many of the questions that surface here re studying in Spain.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to relate your experiences.

Hi Puna - thanks for the comments - I am glad that someone is reading this!

Monday 25th July
The weekend was taken up with domestic chores and social events with a bit of tennis thrown in. As expected, I was unable to go on the Ronda trip due to a dinner party being held on behalf of my ladyfriend´s birthday on Saturday. This took place in a magnificent villa, but more than a villa - it had a bodega, servants quarters and guest cottages as well as the main house itself. Set in beautifuly mature gardens, this residence commanded outstanding views to the sea, across the valley and to the mountains. We were a party of 10 and were treated to a grat meal of gambas with avocado and salad, pineapple stuffed chicken in a chilli and cream sauce with vegetables and potatoes, followed by a magnificent trio of desserts - banoffee pie, chocolate birthday cake and strawberries with cream. WOW - I don´t need to eat for at least three days.

On Sunday morening there was tennis to be played and then three of us went to a Venta (a low cost roadside bar/cafeteria/restaurant)



and enjoyed a shared meal off mixed salad, berenjenas con miel (sliced aubergines, fried and served with honey) and gambas al pil pil (large fried prawns served in a garlic and oil), along with lots of water and bread to soak up the sauce. Following this, we had coffee. All this for a total price of 19 Euros. The venta is situated between Mijas and Coin and is called Los Condes. It commands outstanding views.



In grammar class today, we studied the inicative/subjunctive with time phrases such as cuando, mientras etc.
In vocabulary and conversation, we discussed what qualities a good teacher should have (to practice the subjunctive), went over some new set phrases and did a "test" on vocabulary.
Four new people have joined the superior class - 2 from France and 2 from Italy. We are now back to 9 in total.
Robbieroy

Tuesday 26th July
This weeks´s activities are:
Monday:
1400 - a talk on Sevilla
1730 - Private tutorials
Tuesday:
1530 - A talk and film on Flamenco
1800- Film: La mala educación
Wednesday:
1800 - Film: Gladiator
Thursday
1730 - Private tutorials
2130 - Party at the school
Friday:
1530 - student and teacher volleyball match
1500 - a excusion to Mijas (10 Euros)
Saturday:
2000 - a tapas tour in Arroyo de la Miel
0800 - a whole day trip to Sevilla

I have been to both Mijas and Sevilla so I will probably not go on these trips. The trip to Sevilla will be quite long - 3 - 3.5 hours in a coach! (But would be worth it if you have never been there)

Folowing classes yesterday, I had lunch and then did some homework before playing tennis at the tennis club. At night four of us dined at the small and picturesque restaurant Pueblo Lopez in the Pueblo Lopez area of Fuengirola.



I had a nice meal of melon and ham, lamb shank with vegetables and the dama blanca as dessert - the food was very good and the price was right - free.
This is because it was my ladyfriend´s birthday and because she takes a lot of custom to the restaurant, the give her a free meal for four on her birthday.

In grammar class today we studied conditional expressions using si again and also con tal de que, siempre que, a condición de que etc.
In conversation/vocabulary we talked about the differences between different educational systems and began a quiz on Spanish culture.

I had a nasty experience at the train station in Fuengirola this morning! When I went to pay for my coffee, I took out my wallet and noticed that my credit cards were not there!...
To be continued...
Robbieroy

What an interesting blog you've kept and I really hope you found the credit cards..

I'm off to Andalucia in 9 hours: first two days in Sevilla and from Friday on 4 weeks in Cádiz. Hope my school will be as good as yours seems to be!

Wednesday 27th July
Hi Pia - thanks for your comments - have a great time, I am sure that your school will be good.

So there I was, standing in the station at Fuengirola, wallet in hand, but no credit cards..
Then it happened - you know that sick feeling you get?.. with the knot in the stomach?... well that happened to me. Then the mind goes into overdrive.. where ? what? when? Thinking about how they might have been lost. I knew that I had not used my wallet much (remember, I am Scottish!) and so the possibilities were limited. Could it have been at the school, when I cleaned our receipts etc? - I saw my cards then. Could it have been at the train station at Benalmádena, when I took out my train ticket from the wallet? - I know I saw them then and I am usually careful when opening the wallet. Could the card be in the house? - I leave my wallet on the steps going up to the bedroom, the cards might have slipped out when I picked the wallet up in the morning. Could the cards be in my tennis bag? - When I played tennis the night before, I put my wallet and keys in the bag.

Well what happened?....

I phoned my lady friend and asked her to look on the stairs and in my tennis bag, but the line on the cell phone was breaking up because of the tunnels the train was going through. She phoned me back - No they were not on the stairs. I then asked her to look in the tennis back and THANK GOD, they were there. A happy ending! :p

Can you imagine the hassle if they had been really lost?

Yesterday after school and lunch I went up to the tennis club and did some homework and then practised a little (at tennis, not Spanish). I had been working with the ex coach of the club (a great guy, the one I went to Málaga with to get tickets to go to Valencia) on my topspin backhand and during the practice session, it was evident that his work has paid off. He has difficulty speaking due to having had a stroke in 1991, but can really demonstrate the shots well. With the topspin backhand well on the way, problems with the imperfect subjunctive fade into the background!!!!!

In grammar class today, we spent most of the time doing example questions from the grammar section of the DELE (Superior level) exam. This section also contained questions on stock phrases that are used in everyday Spanish. The example questions were by and large straightforward and appeared easier than the ones in the textbook that we are using.

In the vocabulary/conversation class, the focus was on listening and writing activities. The teacher read a short story, which we had to write down - a typical dictation exercise. We then taked about the story. We also listened to another song by Los Secretos "Está prohibido llorar" (Crying is forbidden) and filled in the banks on the lyrics sheet. Following this, we discussed aspects of the song and gave our opinions and then.... yes, we sang along to the song!

The afternoon was taken up with a light lunch, a siesta, followed by some tennis and then a meal of excellent spare ribs.
Robbieroy

Thursday 28th July
This is my second last day at the school and I must say, I have really enjoyed my stay.
In grammar class today, we reviewed the use of the subjunctive and did some really complicated exercises. We also look at ser and estar when they change the significance or meaning of adjectives.
Conversation class was good with a discussion centered around films.
Tomorrow there are five of us in the superior class for whom it will be the final day and we will have a small party during the half hour break.
Robbieroy

Make the most of your final day(s) in class and in Benalmadena. We appreciate your sharing your experiences with us.

Saludos, MadridMan

Friday 29th July
Well, my final day at the language school has finally arrived, and on reflection it has been a really good experience - one I am sure that I will repeat in the future.

We have organised a part for 11.30h because 5 of the superior class leave today, myself included. It is also the birthday of one of the members of the class. We have therefore organised ourselves to bring in some "goodies" that include, cheese, tortilla, olives, patatas fritas, bread and ham, and also some cava (Spanish champagne). Here are some photos:








Well. the test went well. I scored 27/33 , not bad for an old guy. The party went well, although nothing was ready for us (again) and we had to prepare the food ourselves! Well, we are in Spain!. The conversation class went well beyond its allocated hours and we spent the aftenoon drinking and eating. A great time was had by all.
I will feedback my final thoughts when I return home.
Thus almost ends my blog, I will uptate with photos on my return to Scotland.
Robbieroy

I enjoyed your report on your Spanish lessons in Benalmadena. Thanks for all of the detailed information.

I have friends who live in Fuengirola, and I visit them each year for New Years. I am thinking of taking a two week course in January or on a later visit in the Spring.

You mentioned that you attended the Bonanova Language School in Fuengirola. I would be interested in your comments on this school for an Intermediate Level I or II student. They may not have classes in early January due to the New Years and 3 Kings holidays. The school would be very convenient since I would be able to walk to class.

Thanks again for your excellent report.

Arturo

Hi Arturo
Thanks for your comments on my blog, I am pleased that you found it interesting and I hope that it will be of interest to others.

Regarding Bonanova - it is a good school and the teachers and management are very professional. The teachers prepare thoroughly for the classes and provide plenty of support materials. The intensive courses (20 hours per week) are good value. If you cannot get a group course there then you have the option of private 1 hour classes are also very good, I have undertaken these in the past. You can find out all the information that you need at there website: http://www.bonanova.com/English/index.htm

If they had group classes at the level I required then I would go there. However, it is also well worth considering Colegio Maravillas in Benamadena. It is only 13 minutes by the coatal train from Fuengirola. Theie website is http://www.maravillas.es/
They are a bigger outfit and a more likely to have classes a different levels. They also organise a good selection of activities and excursions as you will have seen.

By the way, I will also be in Fuengirola over Xmas nad New Year, so if you want to meet up for a beer then that would be great. Please get in touch once you know your dates.
Regards
Robbieroy

Hi,

I´ve been here for more than a week now and I really like Cadiz but actually compared to my school last year (Estudio Sampere in Alicante) I have been pretty disappointed with my school here: it´s excellent in case you already have studied some Spanish and are very sure about your level when enrolling: I hadn´t even informed them on what level I´m on and they had already placed me in Beginners without even looking at my placement exam (don´t really know what we did it for) and I really had to fight to be moved to Elemental which is still a bit too easy as we´re going through stuff I´ve already done. But it´s not as bad for me as some people who came knowing no Spanish and had to start in a group with people who had studied for many months back home. Anyway, I love my other teacher and he´s really good and interesting and the facilities are OK, but I´m definitely going to complain about their lack of flexibility.

Hi Pia
Sorry to hear about you bad experience in Cádiz.
It might help other board members if you were to give the name of the school in which you are studying, so that they might be pre-warned and can alert the school about their ability/level of study.
In my case, at the Colegio Maravillas in Benalmádena, they were quite good at placing you in the class most appropriate to your abilities, based on the placement test.
I hope things improve for you, but in the meantime, enjoy Cádiz, I would love to go there sometime.

Robbieroy

Hi
WOW, found this place with Google then I was scanning for information about Benalmadena and Maravillas. The reason is that I’m thinking about studying Spanish for 8 weeks this fall. At the moment I don’t know any Spanish so it going to be hard!

Before I found this place all the info I could find was sales talk. The information you provided was great and now I’m convinced that Maravillas is the school for me.

Perhaps you could tell me something about the accommodation the school provides. I’m thinking about choosing single room in a shared apartment. I know you didn’t live like this but if you remember your classmates view on the matter I be grateful.

Ps. should be a link to this forum from Maravillas homepage. Would have saved me a lot of time!

Regards
Magnus

Hi Magnus
I am glad these postings were useful to you. I have studied at three different language schools in Spain and also at my own university, and I can honestly say thet Colegio Maravillas is by far the best of the bunch that I have experienced.
As for your questions about accommodation, I stayed with a friend in Fuengirola (as you probably gathered from the postings), and so I cannot give you a great deal of guidence on accommodation. However, I can tell you that...
1. A friend went there for a week and stayed with a family. She thought that it was great and she was very well looked after and she would do the same again if she were to return.
2. One of the other girls in the class (she was only 18 years old), had been there for 3 months and had stayed with a family, she also thought that this was good.
3. Another two of the men in the class stayed in more traditional accommodation - one in a hotel and one in an aparthotel. They both were there for only two or three weeks, but found this satisfactory.
4. One Swedish girl had been in a shared apartment, provided by the school, but after a few weeks she rented an apartment with a friend. She said that this was cheaper and there were many available.
5. Two Italian girls who were there for only 1 week sayed in a hotel. They thought is was great.

If you are going for 8 weeks, you will need to consider costs (including food, laundry etc.)and priorities (such as social life, integration, immersion in the culture and the amount of Spanish you want to speak).
Make a list of the positives and negatives for each of the choices, and work outthe cost per week. This should help you decide.
Also, look at the advice that Puna gives to Adam in the following thread:
http://www.madridman.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=000395

Please let us know how things work out.
Hope all this helps.
Regards
Robbieroy

Hi again!
I must say that living with a family then I don’t speak a single word Spanish feels a little bit creepy. I haven’t done something like this before. I’m the typical middleclass European/Swedish that always travel with my friends to tourist traps like Rodos (or Rhodos), Magaluf etc. And if the hotel has a swimming pool with a bar my day is done!
Just the fact that I travel alone is a big step for me!

I’m aware of the cost with shared apartments but my employer is going to pay the course and accommodation. All I need is money for food, hygiene and pleasure. I must say that I haven’t a clue about the prices in Benalmadena but I hope that 200-250 euro a week should be enough to eat drink and have some fun.

Right now I’m thinking that maybe I shouldn’t book single room all 8 weeks in advance. I might change my mind after a couple of weeks and like to live with a family!

Anyway thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!

Robbieroy

Still have not confirmed the dates for my stay in Fuengirola. I will probably arrive between December 27-31 and leave for home between January 7-11.

I just read your profile and we have the same birthday...January 14. I am 7 years older though. I would be happy to share a pre-birthday drink or two.

What are some of your favorite places in Fuengirola? I will be staying with friends on Jesus Santo Rein in between the train station and the fairgrounds.

Arturo

Hi again Arturo
I will be there until the 4th January, so our dates will probably overlap. I will be staying in the Pueblo Lopez area of town - on the left between the Mercacentro and Barclays Bamk as you travel out of Fuengirola towards Mijas.
As to my favourite places, that's a difficult one, since there are lots to choose from. I guess one of my favourite restaurants Pueblo Lopez, it is tucked away in a small plaza (see earlier reponses in this thread). For good food, El Diamante (in Los Boliches, but one row back from the Paseo Maritimo); Los Limoneros - a chiriguito up near the castillo end of the beach.
Apart from that, Los Condes venta between Mijas and Coin, and for a really cheap lunch Cafe/Bar Aldena, where the truckers stop for lunch (it is on the Fuengirola to Mijas road, on the left, before the Rover car showroom as you approach the big new roundabout that access the new motorway.
Finally, Campo de Tenis Lew Hoad (just after that roundabout, on the right) - that is where I spend most of my time.
It would be great to meet up for a tapa and a beer.
I have to say that I don't spend too much time in the bars and restaurants in Fuengirola. If you know of any good ones, please let me know.
Take care and once you know your dates, we can exchange contact details by private message or email.
What a coincidence about the birthday dates!
Best regards
Robbieroy

The best way to learn is to practice in conversation. Do you know anyone who speaks Spanish that you could talk to? "EXAMPLE.com" sites takes a different approach and allows people to learn languages regardless of native tongue by allowing flexible language pairing. I think it has a lot of helpful, and I hope it helps you.

Nicholass, please be VERY careful with your postings. I feared just this when I approved your registration request.

I see that the website you listed above (removed by me) is YOUR website - one of many - and one I've matched the WhoIs info with your email address. We do not allow self-promotions of websites, products, or services and so your posting is not allowed. Please do not do it in the future. You may, however, include a link and description in your signature file. This way, as you participate in typical message board conversation people can see and then choose to click your signature's link. Thank you.

Saludos, MadridMan

I just popped into the message board for the first time in a long, long time and noticed that this thread had resurfaced - what memories!
I would like to wish all visitors to, and members of the forum a very Merry CHristmas and a Happy New Year.
Felices Fiestas
Robbieroy

You can't keep a good thread down, robbieroy! Welcome back and Happy Holidays to you!

Saludos, MadridMan

Just stumbled on this thread now. Really a good read, i am still undecided of where in Spain i am going to relocate to but if Malaga is the place for me, this info is really priceless.
Thanks!
Happy new years to all

JeanSP ... bear in mind that Malaga is well known for a huge expat community .. notably the UK and Germany . The whole area of Malaga , Marbella , Puerto Banús and even down to Estepona is full of very large house and very wealthy people . With that comes very expensive living , restaurants and bars , especially in Puerto Banús . I was there with family .. our beachfront villa was overlooked by the massive residence of the Saudi Arabian Royal family who were there at the same time as us . You´re talking serious money ! In the small town itself you cannot move , especially on the marina ( room for 900 yachts and always spectacular yachts ) for Ferraris , Rolls Royce , Lamborghini , Bentley etc ... Many with Arabic numberplates . It´s very impressive and my camera was red hot at the end of the day ! The Saudi Royal family normally arrive in an entourage of about 100 .. crown princes , servants etc... . Cartier have a small shop on the Marina and one of the crown princes went in one day ( a few years ago ) and spent something like 60 million Euros in one shot . They normally stay for a month and it´s estimated they contribute something like 2 million Euros a day to the economy !
So your clientele would be very different from that in , say , Barcelona or Madrid !

A link to one report ( from the States ) is :

http://members.tripod.com/joe_matalski/Pages/spain.htm

MM .. the article touches on political/religious issues but it was sent out by associated press ... So I´m assuming that it´s OK ( ? )

Many Brits, Aussies, and South Africans prefer to live along the Costa del Sol because they'll be in good company, don't have to deal much with Spanish (people or language), and still have great weather all year 'round. If that is your objective, consider it. If you'd like to be someplace more "spanish", consider someplace else, further away from the coasts.

Saludos, MadridMan